Stable explosive.



' trated starch ammonium carbonate.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FLETCHER B. HOLMES, OF WOODBURY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE I. DU PO-N'I DE NEMOURS POWDER COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A OORPORATIONOF NEW JERSEY.

STABLE EXPLOSIVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 1908.

Application filed May 20, 1907. Serial No. 374,538.

5 of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Stable Explosives, of

. which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. I

The object of myinvention is to produce stable nitrated starch.

N itrated starch may be used as an explosive itself, or preferably ma be used as a component ,part of an ex osive, such as where it is mixed with so ium nitrate, potassiumnitrate, or some other oxygen carrier, with or without the addition of otheringredients.

The difficulty with nitrated starch is that it is very unstable, being liable to decompo I sition. When suchnitrated starch decom poses, which it is liable to do at ordinary temperatures, it becomes liable to spontaneous combustion.

I have discovered that I canproduce a stable nitrated starch by mixing with nibonate is'usually a mixture of several compounds. Thus commercial ammonium caronate may consist of one or a mixture of. two I or more of the following com oundsz'Normal ammonium carbonate H CO H O, the acid carbonate (NH )HCO the sesfipi carbonate mng co zmino mo and t e carbonate of ammonia NI-I O,(OONH Any one of or a mixture of, two or more of these compounds are included in 'the term.

ammonium carbonate as used by me and are effective for my purpose.

In practice the ammonium carbonate is mixed with the nitrated starch prepared in the ordinary and well known manner and in an amount preferably from two to five oer cent., althou h I have used larger and smaller amounts with success.

4 Havin now fully described my invention,

what I c aim and desire to protect byLetters Patent isz a 1. A stable nitrated starch consisting of a mixture of nitrated starch and ammonium carbonate, the latter being in such propor- J tion as to stabilize the nitrated starch.

.2. A stable nitrated starch consistlng of a mixture ofnitrated starch and from two to five percent. of ammonium carbonate.

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia, onf

this15th'day of May, 1907.

Witnesses: M. M. HAMILTON, E.'E'. WALL.

- FLETCHER B. HOLMESI 

